Alive
by Velv3tteV3nom
Summary: Roxas hated life. And Sora. And Cloud. Why did he have to take over Sora's job as service writer at Strife Auto Care? Oh, that's right. Because Sora was going to some prestigious college and he wasn't. And who said that red-haired freak of a mechanic was allowed to turn his world upside-down? AU. AkuRoku. Rated M for later chapters and a possible lemon.
1. In Which Sora is Annoying

**A/N** : Hello, Velvette here. So, ah, I had a story that was just a complete and utter flop. With a capital F. So I deleted that monstrosity in a heartbeat. Then, the inspiration bug hit me like no tomorrow. So, I work in the car repair business. Er, training actually. And nooooo I'm not a mechanic lol I'm training to be the service writer, or the person who runs the office, generates car repair estimates, etc. The whole shebang. Then, I got to thinking. What if I could somehow incorporate this into an Akuroku story?! Eeee! Just picture Roxas as the service writer in training, Sora as the current service writer, Cloud as head mechanic and owner of said auto repair shop, and Axel as the new-hire mechanic! Because every head mechanic needs help. So, on a different note, I was listening to the song, "Alive" by Krewella and thought I'd incorporate the lyrics into this as well as it being the title. Very upbeat song. Listen to it now if you haven't already. Jeez this author's note is getting very verbose. Lol anyway without further ado, I present "Alive", an AkuRoku love story.

 **A/N 2** : Just be forewarned that I have a very dry sense of humor. Drives my boyfriend nutty. What I find funny may not necessarily be funny to you. So please don't say "OMG she's trying too hard to be funny" or "that's not funny at all". It's just how my overanalytical mind works. Just wanted to clear that up.

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Kingdom Hearts nor do I make any profit from this. This is just for my enjoyment and your reading pleasure. I also don't own O'Reilly's auto parts stores, Auto Zone, or any other car parts stores. This disclaimer should last through the whole story so I don't have to put it in every chapter. That just gets repetitive and annoying, yeah?

* * *

 **Chapter One: In Which Sora Is Annoying**

"Roxyyyy-poo! It's time to head to the shop!" came the overly annoying voice of my brother, Sora.

I groaned and rolled over into a more comfortable position.

 _Fuck this. I'm going back to dreamland. Namine, I'm coming back to you! It's time to get married and frolic off into the sunset on our honeymoon, then make beautiful blonde babies and-_

I heard a distant thud, thud, thud coming up the stairs but tuned it out. Sora could wait. I wanted to finish my dream of getting married to Namine.

 ** _Thud!_**

 ** _Bam!_**

 ** _Crash!_**

Sora broke down my door and launched himself onto my unsuspecting person.

"I said wake up, Roxy!"

"Burn in hell."

"Rox, that was uncalled for. You evil morning hater. You're almost as bad as the purple people eating boogeyman."

I slowly sat up and stared at my brother. "What the fuck, Sora?"

Sora just smiled and shrugged. "He lives under my bed, remember?"

"Sora, you're 22 years old. You know this isn't normal."

"Define normal, Rox."

I went to go get my dictionary so I could beat some sense into him.

Ah, the power of knowledge at its finest.

"And no using the dictionary. You'll only try to hit me with it anyway," Sora replied with a smug smirk.

I sighed and put the dictionary back on my meticulously organized bookshelf. "Whatever. Shouldn't you be getting ready for work, too?"

Sora let out a manly squeak and ran back into his room but not before saying, "I've got first dibs on the shower, Roxy-poo!"

I just shook my head. Mornings were always interesting with Sora around. Maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't be so bad working with Sora at my dad's car repair shop.

* * *

After I got my shower (which Sora so graciously hogged and used ** _all_** the hot water), I made my way downstairs and decided that I wanted an omlette for breakfast.

Yes, I, Roxas Ryan Strife, can cook my little tail off. And it's not girly at all. So back off.

I grabbed all the ingredients I needed and set about making a cheesy ham omlette.

 _Should I make Sora one, too?_

Right as that thought crossed my mind, Sora came galloping down the stairs and saw me at the stove in my bad ass _KISS ME, I'M IRISH_ apron.

Sora gave me an exuberant smile as I rolled my eyes and handed him a plate. "Roxyyyyy! You're so sweet!"

I shrugged and sat down beside him at our cherry wood dining table. I quickly devoured my eggy cheesy goodness and put my plate in the dishwasher as Sora did the same.

"You're the bestest chef Roxas! "

I smirked, "Only because you can't cook to save your life. I mean, Sora, you can't even boil water correctly..."

Sora pouted cutely. "Boiling water should be left to rocket scientists anyway. You ready to head out?"

 _Time to face the inevitable..._

* * *

As Sora and I made our way out the front door of our homey two-story house, I realized I forgot my phone. So I had to turn back around to get the elusive and deceptive cellular device I affectionately called Evil.

Evil and I had been through a lot. Bathtubs, toilets, and many other hazardous warzones of watery proportions. Hence the name Evil. The damn phone just wouldn't die. And it was so outdated too. Remember those nifty little flip phones? Yeah. That's what I was blessed with.

Enough about Evil though.

I rushed out the front door a second time and jumped into Sora's 2011 Hyundai Sonata.

It was such a sleek, sporty looking car. I wanted to make sweet, sweet love to it. All night long. Without a condom. Then we'd have sleek, sporty babies.

 _I'll have to keep that a secret from my fiancee, Namine. So, shhhh..._

* * *

As soon as we hit the interstate, Sora whipped across 3 lanes to get off on Exit 9 for Madison Boulevard.

I let out a startled yelp as Sora proved his superior driving skills to the other pissed off drivers. "Sora! You can't just cut people off like that! This isn't NASCAR! This is real life!"

Sora grinned cheekily and we eventually pulled into the Strife Auto Care parking lot. "We're heeeereee!"

"Fantastic."

Sora parked the car, killed the engine, pulled the key out of the ignition and looked over at me. "Ready, Freddy?"

I scoffed. "My name is Roxas, dumbass."

"It's an expression, Rox."

I rolled my eyes and got out of the car. "Well, let's go and get this over with."

Sora got out and skipped to the front door and held it open for me.

* * *

"Welcome to your doom, Roxas."

I glared at my father and owner of Strife Auto Care, Cloud. "Hilarious, dad."

Cloud just gave me a blank stare. Then let out a snort of restrained laughter. "Well, Sora will show you the ropes and train you well. After all, you're going to be taking his place once you have everything perfected."

My jaw dropped lower than a hoe dropping it like it's hot. "Excuse me?"

Sora pretended I wasn't there and asked Cloud something about a new mechanic.

But I wasn't paying attention.

"What the fucking hell, Sora!?"

* * *

And that's where I'm gonna leave it for now. Axel shall make his appearance next chapter. Promise. Questions? Comments? Ideas? I'm all ears! Please review and tell me what you think. Till next update! ~Velvette


	2. In Which Axel is an Ass

**A/N** : Hello, again! Velvette here. So I suppose I never specified about when I would be updating and whatnot. Well, that really depends on how many people review or actually want to read more. And if I'm in a decent mood. Lol which is most of the time. But, yeah I know I promised Axel in this chapter and Axel, you shall get. But first I'd like to thank my very first reviewer, Simply Rexene.

 **Simply Rexene** \- Thank you soooooo much for your review. Totally made me grin. I'm glad you like my sense of humor. Most people just look at me weird or say I'm trying too hard. For instance, I was watching a video with my boyfriend and the person in the video said "Jeez, Louise, Papa Cheese" and I burst out laughing and my boyfriend just looked at me blankly "It's not that funny." Psssh. Whatever. Anyway, here's chapter two, dear! Enjoy!

Without further ado, I present Chapter 2 of Alive!

* * *

 **Chapter 2: In Which Axel is an Ass**

I was pissed. Absolutely, positively pissed. "Would someone care to explain to me just what the hell is going on?"

Sora was just chatting away with Cloud while I stood awkwardly in the doorway. "So you hired some more help, dad?"

Cloud nodded and looked at me standing in the doorway. "That door seems to be making fast friends with your brother."

Sora giggled. "Might give ol' Namine a run for her money."

I broke out of my furious stupor and glared at them both. "I'm right here, you know. But do go on and talk more about me. Just pretend I'm not even here."

Now, the next few things seemed to happen in slow motion. The door behind me opened, bell chiming jovially, and the person that walked in literally shoved me out of the way and onto the cold, unforgiving floor.

 _Hello, floor. It's been a while._

"Don't you know its rude to just loiter in the doorway when other people actually, ya know, have a job to get to?" Came a very sarcastic drawl above my fallen, aching body.

"Axel! Hi! This is my brother, Roxas!" Sora chirped jovially.

I slowly sat up and glared up, up, and up at the rude, obnoxious person who had the gall to shove me down.

* * *

The man standing before me was definitely a sight to behold. And that's putting it lightly. He had fair skin with rosy hues, a widow's peak, rather small eyebrows and thick, shoulder-length, bright red hair styled into slicked-back spikes. His eyes were a vibrant, mischievous emerald green and he had tattoos. Under his eyes. They looked to be purple reverse-teardrop shaped tattoos. He also had on tight black skinny jeans and a form fitting red t-shirt emphasizing his lithe and skinny build.

 _Tattoos under your eyes? Really? Was this guy in prison!? My dad hired a criminal!? No. My dad has better sense than Sora. And jeez, does this guy know what food is? Like good food? Like chicken? Mmmm chicken... I like chicken._ I thought to myself dreamily.

Axel smirked at me, misinterpreting the expression on my face. "See something you like, Rox-asssss?" He purred seductively.

I gave him a blank look. "Huh? Chicken?"

Sora snorted and gave Axel a sympathetic look. "Roxas likes chicken."

I smiled at Axel's bright red hair. "Your hair reminds me of hot sauce. Mmmm. Buffalo wings..."

In case you're confused, if anyone mentions chicken or anything affiliated with chicken, I go into a dreamlike state and say weird ass things. Sora calls it a chicken concussion.

Sora and Cloud busted out laughing, leaving a very confused Axel wondering what the fuck was going on.

Cloud whacked me with his newspaper that materialized out of nowhere. "Roxas, snap out of it."

I violently shook my head and looked around. "Whuh?" I replied intelligently.

Sora just rolled his eyes. "Roxas, this is Axel, he just graduated from Drake State University and he's the only one to meet dad's qualifications to a T. So get along."

"Sora, he shoved me onto the ground. And didn't feel the need to apologize." I quickly glared at Axel to prove my point.

Axel just shrugged. "You was in the way kid, that shit tends to happen when you're standing in the way."

I let out a furious growl. "That does not give you the god-given right to shove someone out of the way!"

Axel rolled his eyes and stepped around me to walk into the office to get something. "Freedom of speech and all that jazz, blondie," he muttered as he came back to stand over me.

 _I have had enough!_

I jumped to me feet and went to attack him only to be caught around the waist by my dad.

"Roxas, no harming your coworkers." Cloud turned to Axel. "And you, quit provoking him. Next time, I'll let him finish what you start."

Axel muttered something unintelligible and went out into the shop.

This was what I had to look forward to? Five days a week?

"Oh, Rox-asss...? Nice to meet ya, by the way," came Axel's heartwarming reply.

"Fucking dick."

* * *

Well... There's chapter two. I don't know if I like it much or not. I mean I kinda do but I kinda don't. Meh. Well, please review and let me know if you have any comments or ideas,etc. Next chapter will have more car repair interaction and Sora will teach Roxas the fine art of being a service writer, or office manager. And more Axel and Roxas interaction. Till next update! ~Velvette


	3. In Which Patience is a Virtue

**A/N** : Hello, welcome to chapter 3 of Alive! Last chapter we had Axel and Roxas meet for the very first time but can they actually work together without killing each other first? Find out! I would sincerely like to thank Simply Rexene and Kel-Vampyre for reviewing.

 **Simply Rexene** \- I knowwww. I love asshole Axel. It just makes him much more endearing. *melts*

 **Kel-Vampyre** \- Glad you're enjoying this fic so far!

Well here's chapter 3!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: In Which Patience is a Virtue**

After that potentially awful encounter with Count Asshole, Sora showed me into the office and booted up the main computer and the estimate generating computer. "So, Roxas, I'm really sorry you had to find out that the only reason you're here is to replace me. I should've told you sooner."

I snorted attractively. "You think? I still would've been irritated, but not as much as I am right now. And that thing out in the shop with dad has just made this a billion times worse."

"Why? Because you secretly wanna do him in the backseat of his car?" Sora waggled his eyebrows for an added effect.

Which was totally unnecessary, but whatever.

I gave him an incredulous look. "Sora, you're forgetting one key fact. I'm engaged to Namine. Who is a girl. Not a boy. Besides, unlike you, I'm completely straight."

"Oh? Did I forget to mention Axel has a 1967 Chevelle SS? I did? Hehe well now you know."

My eyes instantly glazed over with car lust. "A...'67... Chevelle... SS...?"I whispered breathlessly.

Sora grinned, knowing he'd finally caught my interest. "Mmhm. I bet he'd let you drive it if you're NICE to him."

I immediately killed Sora 72.6 times in my head, 109.7 different ways. "No."

Sora gave an exasperated sigh. "Oh c'mon, Rox. He's not that bad. A bit rude maybe, but he just needs some old fashioned Roxas TLC!"

"Oh, I'll give him some TLC all right. I'll roundhouse kick all his stupid teeth out so he'll look like Grandpa Solomon."

Sora just shook his head. "You're hopeless, Rox. Hopelessly in looooove!"

"How are we related again?"

* * *

"So, I've seen the way you look at my my son, Roxas," Cloud casually conversed with Axel.

Axel spluttered and started choking while in the process of draining all the old oil out of a car that was 1000 miles overdue for an oil change.

"Excuuuuse me? That runt isn't even worth my time, let alone my dick shoved up his tight ass. Oh, shit! Cloud, I didn't mean it! "

The moment those words were out of Axel's mouth, Cloud had slowly been stalking closer to him. " I was joking, Axel. My son is straight."

"Pfft. I know that. I have a girlfriend anyway."

Cloud shrugged and went back to running diagnostics on some customer's car that had the engine light on.

As soon as Axel had all the old oil drained out, he let out an irritated sigh. Stupid later model vehicles. Always fucking picky about name brand oil. That the shop didn't currently have. "Hey, Cloud, I'm gonna have to get the oil for this car from the fucking dealer."

Cloud just let out a grunt of acknowledgement and looked down at his scan tool. "Great... This is pointing to a bad catalytic converter. Fucking figures."

Axel threw Cloud a sympathetic look before walking back into the office.

* * *

"Okay, Roxy, this is where you click to receive customer payments, this is the card reader, and that over there is used for generating repair estimates. And we always, ALWAYS, call the customer with updates."

I rolled my eyes, I knew how to do most of this stuff. Common sense and all that. "Gotta cover your ass somehow, right?"

Axel chose that moment to grace us with his holy presence and sashayed into the office. "Hey, Sora, I need some oil from the dealer for that car out there." He pointed to the sleek, black love machine while I drooled all over myself.

Axel gave me a funny look. "He okay over there?"

Sora nodded emphatically. "Yeah, he's fine. This is what I call his car lust. If cars were alive and breathing I guarantee he'd find a way to procreate with them."

Axel raised a short eyebrow. "Car fanatic, huh?"

"More like obsessive. But your description sounds nicer."

Axel shrugged. "I aim to please and be pleased," he said with a cocky smirk.

Sora grinned, his face almost splitting in two. "I think Roxas likes you. Or well, your car to be more specific."

I immediately snapped out of my daydream and stared at Sora. "Don't mind me. I'm not even here."

Axel smirked at me. "You're cute kid. A bit snarky but beggars can't be choosers, eh?"

I held my breath and counted to fifty. Then counted to fifty again.

I still wanted to bash Axel's face into the keyboard. Then maybe turn the mouse cord into a makeshift noose and hang that jerk by his scrawny neck. And have Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol playing in the background.

What a good way to die.

"I think he's plotting your death over there. He's got that look in his eye."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone's plotted my death."

Sora picked up the phone and called the Toyota dealer to order the oil Axel needed. "Thanks, Xion. I'll call you later, yeah?"

As Sora hung up the phone, Axel decided he needed to get back to work, whatever that was. "Hey, Rox-asss? Since we share a love of cars, maybe I'll consider letting you drive my Chevelle tomorrow."

I felt my jaw drop. "Really...?"

Axel gave me a genuine smile. "Well, yeah I kinda feel bad about shoving you aside like a sack of potatoes."

I smiled back. "Apology-"

"Though sane people don't generally make a habit of standing in doorways. So, you kinda brought all this on yourself."

I glared fifty million holes into his skull.

"Not accepted!" I finished after having been so rudely interrupted.

* * *

Uhm, well here's chapter 3? Heh. I don't like it very much but maybe next chapter will be better. Also, go check out my lovely friend, Simply Rexene. She has a beautiful way of writing. And amazing stories. Go. Read. Now. Anyway, please review and let me know if you have any ideas or comments. Till next update! ~Velvette


	4. In Which Roxas Becomes Axel's Assistant

**A/N** : Soooo yeah, I'm seriously just winging this story as it comes to me. I know I should've done an outline and all that snazzy jazz. But meh, I'm feeling lazy. So pbbbbt. Anyway, I kinda sorta maybe like this chapter. And a huge thanks to Simply Rexene for throwing me a few ideas!

 **Simply Rexene** – Hahaha Sora loooooves pushing buttons. Especially big red ones. Like Roxas's buttons. He's an overall professional button pusher. And there's more to come!

 **Kel-Vampyre** – I'm glad you thought it was funny! That's what I'm aiming for! Although sometimes I think I'm trying too hard… *shrugs*

On a side note, I hate ladybugs. Evil, dastardly foul-smelling creatures of the damp.

Well, here is chapter 4 of Alive. Please enjoy.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: In Which Roxas Becomes Axel's Assistant**

"Roxas?"

"Roxas?

"ROXAS, WAKE THE FUCK UP. THIS ISN'T KINDERGARTEN. WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF HAVING NAPTIME."

I woke up with a startled yelp. I didn't even remember dozing off. All I remember was Axel being an asshat and him just giving me that all-knowing smirk.

"Yes, dad?" I replied meekly.

Cloud sighed and ran his hand through his golden blond locks. His son was about to get pissed in 3… 2…

"I've gotta go to O'Reilly's and see if I can settle a labor claim because some idiot kid, Kairi, sold me a turn signal switch that went out a week later. So I have no idea how long this will take, but I need you to go out into the shop and help Axel with whatever he may need until I get back. No ifs, ands, or buts."

Sora snickered. "And no chicken butts!"

1..

"WHAT!?" I yelled, gracefully falling out of my chair and showing the cold floor some Roxas TLC. With my face.

"Ow…" I groaned and sat up.

Cloud was muttering something to himself as he walked away from my righteous fury.

Sora gave me a sly look. "Yay! Now you can get more bonding time with your Axie-poo!"

I massaged my throbbing temples. I could feel a headache coming on.

"Fucking fantastic. Off I go on my wild excursion."

* * *

I made my way out to the shop and just stood there, admiring all the shiny cars. If there was a porn site for cars, I'd be their most frequent visitor. No lie.

I looked around for the red haired menace I was supposed to regrettably be helping.

 _Where the fuck is he…?_

"Looking for something, Rox-asss? " came a hot, breathy whisper in my ear.

I whirled around with the angriest glare I could muster. "My dad said I had to help you. So. Here I am."

Axel grinned, revealing two rows of gorgeous pearly whites. "Weeeell, I could use a hand doing an AC Service¹. If you even know what that is…" he trailed off thoughtfully.

I wanted to maim him. I wanted to shove that strategically placed torque wrench up his ass.

 _Mmm… I bet he likes other things up the ass…_

 _What. The. Fuck._

What the fuck brain?! Axel's a GUY. And an asshole. And I was engaged to the love of my life.

I can't believe that thought even had the audacity to be produced by my brain.

" Yes, asshole. I know how to do that. I've been around cars since I was born. I came out of my mother's womb with a monkey wrench," I replied with a sarcastic bite.

Axel arched a short, red brow. "If you say so kid. Show me what you can do."

Then, he proceeded to laugh at the double meaning of that last phrase.

Idiot.

I quickly performed said service and put all the equipment away.

"So, do you know why the AC isn't working, Roxy?"

"Why, yes, Axie. This car needs a new compressor. Anything else I can help you with?" I growled through gritted teeth. This guy was trying what little patience I possessed.

Axel's smirk turned into a seductive smile. "Well, since Cloud isn't here to kick my ass… You could always, ya know, suck my dick. I could use some good ol' Roxas TLC. "

Sora was dead. So dead.

"SORA!"

* * *

¹ Air Conditioning Services consist of any service performed on the equipment that delivers cool air to the cabin of your car. The major components of your air conditioning system include the compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, and refrigerant. There are a variety of problems that can hinder your air conditioner's ability to generate cold air—it may be as simple as needing to add refrigerant. However, normal wear and tear causes seals, hoses, and fittings to get loose and wear out. When this happens, refrigerant can leak out. Yes, I'm a nerd. Bite me lol

*munching on pizza* Hmmwhu? Oh hey, chapter 4 is done! Huzzah! So, here you go. Sorry it's so short. But if I did longer chapters it'd take me even longer to update… unless that's what you guys want. Let me know! Please review! Till next update. ~ Velvette

Next chapter: Roxas gives Axel's dick some TLC. …. Just kidding! Nah. Roxas tries to just get through the day without killing anyone and he gets a lovely call from his fiancee, Namine. Wonder what'll happen? :3


	5. In Which Namine is a Drag

**A/N** : Hiiiii! Velvette here! So I wasn't too impressed with the last chapter… It was just horrifically short. Go on. I give you permission to say it. Not like anyone needs it but still! I'm gonna try to make this as long as I can so bear with me! Oh and thank you to all of you awesome people who added this to their story alerts and favorites! But here's a biiiiiig shout-out to my best two reviewers!

 **Cera** : Pfft. More like your ONLY reviewers…

 **Me** : You! *points finger accusingly at muse* You shut up!

 **Cera** : *shrugs* Just stating the painfully obvious truth, Velvette. No need to get all defensive.

 **Me** : Ugh. Whatever.

 **Simply Rexene** – Thank you for your super kind words! I hope to make this a wonderful AkuRoku story! … Eventually. Lol.

 **Kel-Vampyre** – Yes, it's exceedingly hard to make chapters all flowy and awesome without an outline. I should consider doing one… When I decide to not be so lazy about it lol. And yesss, Roxas won't know what hit him. Gotta love them horrendous, raging hormones! So, I will do my best to make this chapter longer, for you, and everyone else!

Anywayyyyy… here's chapter 5 of Alive! (I love rhyming! Especially when I'm not even trying! Omg! I gotta stop. Seriously. Aggggh. Okay, I'm done. XD)

Oh before I forget! I don't own the song _I Wanna Be A Millionaire_ by _Bruno Mars_. So no suing!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: In Which Namine is a Total Drag**

After that peculiar comment from Axel, I immediately told him to kindly fuck off and die. In a ditch full of dirty radioactive sewage. I couldn't believe he had the audacity to even say that to me. Like, really! Who the fuck did he think he was!?

First thing's first though, I had a loud-mouthed Sora to annihilate.

I calmly walked into the office only to find Sora playing some kind of weird zombie shooting game.

"Die, you evildoers! Die, I say! You will rue the day you ever messed with Sora Reyne!"

Yeesh, my brother was weird.

"Sora…"

Aforementioned person looked up and then his lovely tan skin turned pale. If that was even possible.

"O-Oh! Hey, Roxy! Done helping Axel?" Sora replied with a sheepish grin.

I gave him a rather disarming smile. "Yes, indeed, dearest, most beloved brother of mine. "

Sora slowly nodded. "O…kay? Did you, ah, have fun? I heard you got to perform an AC service on a snazzy Mustang GT."

I continued to smile. Let him think that everything was hunky-dory. Because the moment he let his guard down would be the moment I strike.

"Yup, I figured out the compressor had locked up for some odd reason. Probably because the stupid customer decided to let his freon levels to get too low. It is common knowledge that a car engine needs oil for lubrication of the moving parts. The same is true for air-conditioner compressors. A lack of lubrication can allow parts to fuse from the excess heat and friction. Refrigerant and oil may escape slowly through a small leak somewhere in the system. Low refrigerant levels reduce system performance. Adding refrigerant alone can restore performance, but neglecting to replace the lost oil may cause the compressor to run dry and lock up. A system may be low on oil if it needed refrigerant added occasionally over the years…"

Sora snickered. "Are you sure you're not a closet-mechanic, Rox?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? After all, I have been around cars all my life. And I know how everything works."

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Right you are, Roxy-kins!"

"So… What were you and Axel talking about earlier, Sora?"

No sense in beating around the bush, right?

Sora quickly tried to mask the horrified expression that crossed his face. "Oh, you know… A little of this, a little of that…"

"Oh? Let's not forget a little 'Roxas TLC', yeah?"

"Yes, indeedy-do!"

Sora immediately slapped a hand over his mouth. Then proceeded to open his mouth to say something, but no sound came out.

My lovely, angelic smile morphed into a scary, sadistic smirk.

"Gotcha."

One of the best qualities about Sora. The poor guy couldn't lie. And even if he did, he'd end up telling on himself without actually meaning to. I almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

* * *

Axel sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. Then realized he had oil and grease on his hands.

"Fuck!" he swore under his breath. He knew he should've washed his hands sooner.

Live and learn, right?

The redhead decided it was high time for a well deserved smoke break. He deftly fished his cigarettes, Camel Crush Menthol, out of his back pocket and stepped outside into the cool winter air.

He hated winter. Every aspect of it. The coldness, the snow, the deathly chill in the air… The list went on. He almost wished he hadn't moved here in the beginning of winter. At least back in Radiant Garden he never had to worry about the snow. Hence the name, Radiant Garden. It had only snowed there a few times but he could easily count on one hand just how many times that was.

Axel glanced over to the busy highway and idly wondered what was taking Cloud so long. He'd just finished every task the older man had given him and didn't want to start anything major before he got back. He had to make a good impression on him, right? Seeing as how that cute blond kid hated his guts already.

Totally not his fault.

Axel finally realized he'd gotten so lost in thought that he hadn't even extracted his cigarette from its safe haven. He quickly pulled one out and brought it to his thin lips, pulled out his trusty chrome zippo, flipped it open, and brought it to the unlit cancer stick. He inhaled deeply, feeling the rush of nicotine fill his system.

 _I wanna be a millionaire_

 _So freaking bad_

 _Buy all of the things I never had –_

Axel groaned and quickly answered his snazzy iPhone 6S. "What, Larxene? "

Larxene let out a fake distressed sigh. "Now, Axie-baby, is that any way to greet your girlfriend-soon-to-be-fiancee?"

Axel rolled his eyes then realized that the supposed love of his life couldn't see him. His phone allowed for video chat, but Larxene didn't need to know about that feature. She'd be blowing up his phone nonstop. As if she wasn't bad about that already. "Sorry, babe. You know how I get before I've had my nicotine fix."

Larxene let out a shrill laugh that made his ears bleed.

Metaphorically, of course.

"I forgive you, but no sex until you make it up to me."

Axel let out an irritated groan. "Seriously, Larx? You don't just put a poor soul in the doghouse because said poor soul was having nicotine withdrawals. That's just evil. Besides, you know better than everybody how bad I can get. Not to mention you know I don't mean a word I say when I'm like that."

Larxene chuckled darkly. "Yes, well, I do enjoy watching others squirm. Especially you, Axel. I'm a sadist at heart. And—"

"That's one of the reasons I fell in love with you," Axel finished with a small smirk. Larxene did have her good points.

Though cooking would most certainly never be one of them.

"Axel! Cloud's back! He said to come inside and look over something!"

Axel sighed and massaged his temples. "Gotta go babe. Duty calls, ya know?"

"Make that money, baby. I love you. See you when you get home."

Axel smiled. "I love you too, babe. Later."

The redhead quickly touched the end call button on his phone and made his way back inside.

* * *

Sora was looking at different compressors on his computer, throwing worried looks at me, and immediately smiled as he heard Axel walk into the office. "Hi, Axel!"

The redhead merely nodded his head in acknowledgment and sat down beside Cloud in one of the office chairs. "What's up, boss man?"

Cloud was silent for a while. Then he handed Axel a sheet of paper. "Axel, your handwriting…"

Axel had the decency to blush. "Yeeeeah, I know… It's kinda girly, but at least it's legible, right?"

Cloud chuckled softly. "You have a point there. I actually wanted you to read back over everything you've written and call Ms. Emiko about everything we've found out so far."

Axel nodded. "Yeah , alright."

* * *

I heavily reprimanded Sora for talking to Axel about me and my so-called Roxas TLC. That was solely reserved for Namine and Namine alone.

He apologized profusely for five minutes until I had to threaten not to forgive him if he didn't shut up.

After amends were made we got to work. Him answering phones and me looking up labor times and parts needed for estimates on numerous vehicles. We were having a decent time until my dad came back in looking disgruntled.

"You okay, dad?" Sora asked, always being the caring, happy twin.

Cloud sighed. "For now. I got the labor claim settled at the expense of that kid, Kairi, losing her job. I mean, it's not like she did it on purpose. I almost feel like it's partly my fault…"

Sora jumped up from his chair. "That's not true, dad! She may or may not have known it was a faulty part, but in no way, does that make her being fired your fault!"

Cloud just ran a few fingers through his trademark golden blond hair. "What's done is done, I guess. Tell Axel to get back in here, would you Sora? "

Sora gave him an affirmative while I just wanted to rip my gorgeous blond hair out. But I liked my hair, so on my head it would stay.

As soon as that blasted redhead stepped back inside I could smell the after effects of cigarette smoke on him.

I inhaled deeply.

I had a little dirty secret that nobody knew about, not even Sora.

I loved the smell of cigarette smoke and the way the smell clung to a person like a second skin. I know that sounded disgusting, and it probably was, but it was one of my fetishes.

It didn't help that this was Axel the Asshole Extraordinaire we were talking about either.

I watched him sit in a comfy chair by my dad and promptly tuned them out until I heard my dad tell him to call Ms. Emiko.  
"Dad, I'll call Namine. And you guys can get back to work," I offered, really wanting to talk to my fiancee.

My dad shrugged, took the paper from Axel, and handed it to me. "All yours, kid. "

As my dad and Axel made their way back to work, I quickly punched in Namine's number and as always, she answered on the third ring.

"Hello, Namine speaking."

"Hey, babe. It's Roxas. "

The girl let out a delighted squeal. "Oh, Roxas! I wasn't expecting to hear from you! How's work going? And why are you calling me from a landline?"

I chuckled at her naïveté. "Silly girl. I'm calling about your mustang. You know, the one you had towed here by AAA."

Namine let out a cute little groan. "I completely forgot, Roxas! You're working the office at your dad's repair shop. So, how's my baby? Is she gonna be okay?"

I sighed. I really didn't want to tell her that her compressor needed replacing. That was in the category of expensive repairs no one wanted to hear about. "Well, baby, you're gonna need a new compressor. It locked up and we can't get it unlocked, no matter what we do. We tried lubricant to see if we could get it working again, but no luck. We'll have to replace it if you want your air conditioning to work. Your radiator has a small leak as well, though it's only minor at this point. To replace your compressor, all said and done, will run you $362.98. Now if you wanted to replace your radiator, it'd be $408.88. It's completely up to you."

Namine let out a whimper. "But Roxas… it's my only car. I don't have that kind of money…"

Then the dam broke loose and the waterworks began. "Namine…"

"I'm sorry I had to be the one to break the news to you, but I thought you might feel better hearing it from me," I tried to reason.

"It's ten times worse, Roxas! Waaaaaaah!" she wailed uncontrollably.

My. Fucking. God.

Girls were so damn annoying and clingy. And fucking inconsolable.

Why did I even bother!?

 _Axel would be a better candidate than Namine…_ my brain helpfully supplied. _At least he wouldn't whine about a stupid car repair like a little girl and just grit his teeth and take it like a man. Mmmm._

 ** _What. The. Hell._**

What in the seven hells of Antarctica was wrong with me today!?

"Roxas?"

I immediately snapped out of my creepy inner thoughts and gave an intelligent, "Huh?"

Namine sighed. "Ill need to talk this over with my mom. I'll see you when you get home, okay?"

"Okay, Nam, I love—"

Click.

That bitch hung up on me!

 _At least Axel would let you finish what you were about to say. He'd let you finish anything…_

 ** _Shut the fuck up, brain. I didn't ask for your input._**

 _Axel can put his output into your input…_

"I hate homosexual thoughts!" I screamed then realized I had said that out loud.

Well, fuck…

* * *

Well, I tried to make it longer! Did it work? Lol please let me know how you liked this chapter. I'm quite fond of it. Please review and tell me what you think! Till next update! ~ Next chapter: How does Sora react to Roxas' little outburst? Will he deny the slow burn of attraction of our favorite redhead? Or will Namine and Larxene keep them apart forever! Next time on Alive!


	6. In Which Roxas is a Hero! Sort Of

**A/N** : Welcome to chapter 6 of Alive, everyone. I have a bad habit of procrastinating… Like really bad lol. But here I am with a new chapter! I hope that makes up for it! And thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, added this to their alerts, and added this to their favorites! You guys rock! Without further ado, here's chapter 6!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: In Which Roxas is a Hero! ...Sort Of**

I couldn't believe what I had just said. I had never been homophobic. I loved gay people, but I wasn't one of them. At least I never thought I was…

Sora immediately got this evil smirk on his face. "Rox, are you having deliciously x-rated thoughts about a certain someone? Red hair? Sinfully gorgeous green eyes? Perfectly fuckable, perfectly plump ass?"

I snapped out of my inner musings and choked on my saliva. "What the hell, Sora?!"

Sora just gave me his famous I-know-more-than-you-think-I-do smiles and went back to typing in some last minute auto jargon into a customer's invoice.

I just sighed and sat back down at my computer and decided to work up an estimate for some kid named Riku.

"Okay… Right front wheel bearing, check. Labor, check. Shop supplies, check. Fuck! I forgot this idiot's AAA discount. "

I quickly clicked on the shop jobs tab and selected the AAA discount box. "All right, subtotal is $304.72… move the decimal back by one… Cool. Discount will be $30.47. Guess I'd better call this imbecile. "

"Roxas! No badmouthing customers! It's unprofessional! And, uh, mean!"

"Shut up, Sora."

Sora pinned me with his infamous glare of kitten-worthy proportions.

"Right back at you, Sora." I printed out Mr. Idiot N. Imbecile's estimate and made my way out to the shop to let my dad look it over. Who knew if he wanted to add anything else, like an alignment or something.

* * *

Axel was dirty.

Quite filthy, if you asked him. Just one of those annoyances that came with the job of being a mechanic.

He had just started to change out the starter in a 2006 VW Jetta when all of a sudden something dropped to the floor. He paid it no mind and continued with the task at hand until suddenly he was saturated with transmission fluid.

"Fucking hell!" Axel groaned and then decided it was probably important to see what had hit the floor.

It was the transmission fluid plug.

Axel just stared at it for a moment. Well, that was new. He'd never seen anything like this.

Fucking European cars.

He had no way of retrieving the plug and if he moved his hand even a fraction of an inch the fluid would completely drain out of the reservoir. He had to find help. Fast.

"IF ANYONE CAN HEAR THIS, I COULD USE A FUCKING HAND! RIGHT FUCKING NOW! FUCK!"

* * *

Cloud had taken it upon himself to go get everyone lunch at Captain D's and soon realized he'd forgotten his coupon for the family fish feast. "Well, that's just fabulous. Now I have to turn around and go get that blasted piece of paper. Stupid ass tree…" he mumbled, knowing he made no sense and cursed all the trees paper was made from for making him forget that stupid coupon.

He quickly made an illegal U-turn and made his way back to his shop.

Hopefully Roxas and Axel weren't trying to kill each other… Or worse.

Doing the deed in the backseat of Axel's car.

Cloud furiously banished that thought from his mind. Sora had an uncanny gift of getting into people's thoughts without their permission. And the funny part was… Sora could be right.

* * *

I made my way over to my dad's computer desk and mentally face palmed. I'd forgotten he had gone to get us all lunch. I'd have to show the estimate to him later. I turned around to make my way back into the office when I heard someone yelling for help.

I looked around and saw Axel covered in transmission fluid. Then promptly decided to ignore his pleas for help. It'd serve that bastard right.

 _If you decided to help him, I'm sure he'd reward you… my traitorous mind helpfully supplied._

I didn't want _that_ kind of reward.

Axel _did_ look like he needed help though…

 _He'd be in your debt, too… You could get him to do anything you wanted… Like fuck you in the backseat of his car…_

 **Okay, brain. Stop listening to Sora. I'll help him, but only because he'll owe me.**

 _Yesssssss…_

 **You sound like a snake having an orgasm. Quit that.**

 _Axel can give you one of those…_

 **A snake…? No, thanks.**

 _Not that. The other thing._

"AN ORGASM! WHAT THE FUCK?"

* * *

Axel whipped his head around after he heard that comment.

"Roxas? Why the fuck are you shouting out the word orgasm?"

I felt my face turn red. "Uh. No reason," I replied intelligently.

Axel rolled his eyes then remembered the predicament he was currently in.

"Mind giving me a hand?"

"Sure." I quickly got the oil pan that was used when draining out the old oil during an oil change and kicked it underneath the car.

Axel let out a relieved sigh and looked down at his uniform. "Fuck. I'm gonna have to get this off. The one day I decide not to bring a change of clothes with me this happens…"

Wait a sec…

Was Axel about to strip in front of me?!

Axel quickly unbuttoned his work shirt and slipped out of it with ease.

Before I could stop myself I felt my eyes raking over his upper torso. He really was abnormally skinny but damn, it just worked for him. I then noticed the faint six pack that was now in plain sight.

 _Mmmm… Just look at those juicy abs… Just tracing your tongue over each individual ab, relishing in the slight tang of skin…_

 **Oh. God. What the hell is wrong with me?!**

Then, I noticed he had his nipples pierced. Dear god, was this man trying to kill me?! Those pert dusky nubs with the barbells through them…

And were those tattoos…? I could see a number VIII curling down his left hip…

 **Think of Naminé. Think of Naminé. Think of Naminé.**

Axel soon noticed me staring and smirked. "Problem, Roxy?"

I broke out of my stupor and glared. "No. None at all. You need to eat more, toothpick."

Axel grinned. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you was checking out my goods, Roxy-dear…"

"Fuck you."

Axel just grinned even wider. "Nah, I'll pass. You're cute, but you don't have the right anatomy for that."

"I wasn't offering, dumbfuck. Get back to work."

Axel sarcastically saluted me. "Yes, Master!"

Master…?

I rather liked the sound of that…

* * *

Well… that's it for now. Sorry it's so short. I don't like it as much as the last chapter but next chapter should be better. Please review and tell me what you think or if you have any ideas or suggestions! Till next update!


	7. IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!

Update as of 11/19/2017:

So I know I've been quite inactive for a while... I had a ton of personal things going on, which I still sort of do, but I want everyone to know that I've decided to finish all the stories I've started. I'm so sorry for leaving a lot of you guys hanging even though I personally think all my stories kinda suck lol but expect some updates coming soon! I may not be able to update as often as I'd like but I'd like to get a few chapters out by this weekend, maybe sooner. Look forward to it! :)


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